Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low provides an amazing collection of wagering options and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
